Spice-feeding receptacle.



, No. 733,628. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

R. W. GRAMER.

SPICE FEEDING REGEPTAGLB.

4 APPLICATION run]: 21m. 17, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

'zgzzzwjw 1%? M fiv 6 4776573 UNITED STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

RALPH- \V. ORAMER, Oh VANWER'I, OHIO.

SPICE-FEEDING RECEPTACLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 733,628, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed February 17, 1902. Serial No. 94,382. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH W. CRAM'ER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Vanwert, Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spice-Feeding Receptacles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of receptacles in which the contents are fed downward into a hopper and are drawn from the bottom of the hopper by means of a spiral conveyer, the various features of novelty being embraced in the construction used, and shown in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front' elevation of a series of said receptacles mounted in a manner useful with this class of machines. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through one of said receptacles 011 line 2 2 of Fig. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through one of said receptacles.

These receptacles are generally arranged in series-one for each kind or grade of spice and are arranged laterally in a suitable cabinet 1. On the bottom of said cabinet there are guide-rails 2, placed longitudinally, which serve to support and guide a suitable platform-scale 3. Secured to the upper part of the cabinet 1 are the receptacles 3, which, as will be seen by the drawings, are hoppershaped, terminating at the bottom in a semioircle,which is prolonged forward in the form of a tube 4.

5 indicates an inclined wall within the hopper 3. Within the tube 4 and extending across the bottom of hopper 3 is a spiral conveyer 6, mounted upon a suitable shaft 7, which shaft is propelled through beveled gears 8 by a handle 9, the said handle 9 being secured to a shaft 10, which rotates in a jourrial-bearing secured in an arm 11 and also through the side of the hopper The shaft 10 has asmall crank offset within it, which crank serves to vibrate a rod 12 in a vertical direction. Secured to the upper end of the rod 12 is a collar 13, from which extend several claws 14,the verticalvibration of which serves to agitate the contents of the hopper and prevents the same from sticking on the sides of the hopper 3. Near the front end of the tube 4 there is an angle-openin g 15, leading down through which the spice will fall upon the rotation of the conveyer 6. 7

Any suitable cover or closure may be used to close the receptacle at the top.

The operation of this device is as follows: The various receptacles 3 in the cabinet 1 are filled with diiferent kinds of spice. Suitable bags or cans 16 are placed upon the scales 3, which are then moved under the desired receptacle 3. The handle 9 is rotated, and this causes the spice to be drawn through the tube 4 and discharged through opening 15 into the receptacle 16 until the proper weight is obtained, after which the handle 9 is reversed and the conveyer 6 forces the spice back into the hopper 3 and prevents the same from spreading in the atmosphere or being wasted on the floor or cabinet 1.

This device is of great use and convenience where the handling of spice is concerned of such character that it cannot be readily handled in the open by means of the ordinary scoop, as by the use of this device no spice is permitted to arise and float in the atmosphere, all that is necessary being to close the opening of the receptacle 16 tightly around the mouth of the opening 15.

I claim for my invention- 1. The combination of the receptacle or hopper 3, an outlet-passage 4 at the bottom thereof, a spiral conveyer 6 arranged in the bottom of said hopper and extending through the outletpassage,and a driving-gear for said conveyer, the same consisting of bevel-gears 8, a drive-shaft 1O journaled in a bracket 11 and the lower portion of the hopper-frame, and a handle 9 for rotating shaft 10, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the receptacle or hopper 3, an outlet-passage 4 at the bottom thereof, .a spiral conveyer 6 arranged in the bottom of said hopper and extending through the outlet-passage, a driving-gear for said conveyer, the same consisting of bevel-gears disposed Within said hopper, and a handle 9 8, a drive-shaft 1O journaled in a bracket 11 for rotating said drive-shaft, substantially as and the lower portion of the hopper-frame, an described.

offset crank portion in said drive-shaft, a RALPH \V. CRAMER. rod 12 connected to said crank portion and Vitnesses: extending into the upper portion of the hop- IRENE E. MOONAN,

per, agitator-arms 14: secured to said rod and M. L. SAMUELs. 

